How MSF teams are providing psychological support to families on the ground
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Friend,
Fleeing violence in the middle of the night. Surviving an earthquake that destroyed your family home. Experiencing sexual violence. Witnessing the death of a loved one.
These are the kinds of devastating crises faced by the patients we treat each day. Twenty-two percent of people living in conflict zones experience mental health problems, including suicidal ideation, post-traumatic stress, acute depression, and anxiety.
That’s why psychological first aid is an essential part of Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)’s emergency care for patients all over the world. Our teams are often seen treating physical ailments: bandaging the war-wounded, rehydrating cholera patients, or performing emergency Caesarean sections. But for more than 20 years, MSF has also been caring for patients’ mental health.
Mental health awareness has grown, leading to the expansion of more effective treatments for psychological conditions. However, in low- and middle-income countries, less than 10 percent of people in need receive adequate treatment.
In addition to a lack of access, taboos, stigma, and suspicion surrounding mental health persist. These barriers can deter and prevent people from seeking the help they need to heal.
It is essential to understand the structures that exist in the communities where patients live and the emotional support these can offer. When our mental health teams begin work in a new community, one of their first steps is to seek out local leaders who can guide the team on the strategies that will best match people’s needs. Community engagement, local organizations, and volunteers play a key role in helping MSF deliver mental health care where it's needed most.
This email was sent from the U.S. section of Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), an international independent medical humanitarian organization that delivers emergency aid to people affected by armed conflict, epidemics, natural and man-made disasters, and exclusion from health care.
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